Cruisin' - Day 1 - 11/28

Well, like I say over and over, it's been forever since I have written a blog post! I am mainly on Facebook these days as everyone is. Not many blogs still going that I used to read daily! Anyway,

I am using this as a way to remember our trip and give advice for friends who have one coming up!
I am back at work today and it's really hard to get in the rhythm of the daily grind again! Our trip was Nov 28-Dec 5, so I had 12 days off in a row because of Thanksgiving! Longest I've ever been away from the office in years, well, ever....
Day 1:
We got on the Carnival Freedom on Saturday Nov. 28th. We went with two other couples, so we all rode together since we all live in Seabrook and could save money on parking at the cruise terminal.
We unloaded and got in line, as we got to the building we all had to use the bathroom before we got in the security lines, and we were laughing and cracking jokes. As Jennifer and I headed into the ladies room, a man was standing there and said, "Looks like y'all are already having fun?" and mentioned he wanted to "check us out" when we were finished. We got to talking in the bathroom and were a little mystified. So we come out of the ladies room and meet Nick right in front and this guy comes over and asks if we could help him test security? Nick says sure and he puts a bullet in an outside pocket of our carry on bag. He also led us to a line saved for VIP's and we didn't have to wait at all! They ran the bag thru and even though it was a set up we were a little nervous, but they found it and passed the test! We even beat our other friends through the line who had paid extra for "Faster to the FUN" to bypass lines, etc. :)  The weather in Galveston was cloudy and cool, so we were all in warm clothes, no shorts and tanks yet! We were all hungry so we headed to the Lido deck for lunch. First stop, Guy's Burgers. Food Network Star Guy Fieri has this restaurant and the burgers are amazing and you can have as many as you want, and I did, almost everyday!!

Our rooms weren't supposed to be ready for a while, but we went up and checked and they were! We put our stuff down and went back up top to check out the boat. The guys found the putt putt golf and so that's what we did. It was very windy up there on the top deck, so we all sucked!

Wandered around a bit more, went back to our room to watch sailaway from the balcony. We all had rooms side by side, so we opened the dividers on the balconies and had one long 40 foot balcony!

Dinner was at 6pm every night and we had a table in the very back of the dining room in the very back of the ship. Too bad it was always dark at dinner, would have been a great view! Our server was Leilani, she was from the Philippines and was the sweetest girl. She had been with Carnival for 10 years, she was great at her job and remembered our names after the first night. She would always greet us by name every night. She was always happy and cheerful, as were all of the stewards and waiters. Our room steward greeted us by name everyday, "Good morning, Miss Kristin and Mr Nick." After dinner we ran around, went to the club, saw a show and played ping pong and chess on deck. It was still a bit cool, but not for long! First night towel animal was my favorite, an elephant! Day 1 was a hit, and we were the last ones up on the whole ship I think :) Couldn't wait to find a spot by the pool the next day and get some sun before the Texans game!

Day 3 - Sea Day again! 11/30

So another Sea Day but it's day of love, the weather is perfect, slight breeze and SUN! We went to breakfast in the Dining Room. We like it because there was usually no lines and they wait on you! We never once ate the buffet on the Lido deck... never got around to it! Then out to the pool by 10am! Jen got us a good spot by the pool on the lower deck so we could be in the middle of the action!  Met a few crazy people in front of us and got some much needed tans! Didn't do much all day but relax by the pool, have another Guy's Burger and then do the evening routine all over again. Dinner was cruise casual and as usual we got stuffed and spoiled again!

Montego Bay, Jamaica - 12/1

When we woke up on Tuesday morning, we were pulling into Jamaica.

 

 

It was a gorgeous day and there were mountains on the horizon. Got a cup of coffee and out to the balcony to watch us pull in, but our room was on the wrong side of the ship! Got some good shots coming in, but had to go up on deck to see us tie up to the dock.

We didn't have any excursions planned because all of the good ones were over 90 minutes away and we didn't want to spend time in a bus, we'd rather be on the beach. We got on a HopON/HopOFF bus and took off around 10am. Then we could figure out where to go from there.
Our driver told us some history and about some of the resorts in the area. First stop was an outdoor mall, but we can shop at home! Next stop was Doctor's Cave Beach, this was it for us.

It was a private beach, just $6 to get in and they had food, restrooms, showers, chairs and umbrellas (of course, for a fee). Before we could hardly get off the bus, there were Jamaicans in our faces wanting to "sell us their wares" Yeah, green, smelly ganja! Would you believe they even had clipboards with photos for you to pick from?? Crazy! So, to the beach we go, grab a chair and get comfy. We had a great view of the ship from the beach and planes going over too. Had to try the official drink of the island, Red Stripe, it was ok, hot day and a cold beer.
The water was so gorgeous, and cool, but not too cold. It was perfect to hang out in and swim. I had taken some mini Milk Bone dog treats because I heard the fish love them and boy did they. We would break them up and as they floated around we got swarmed with all kinds of fish. So cool!

We snorkeled and hung out most of the day, but wanted to check out the town and grab a bite, so off we went. We found a great place close and had some jerk wings and they were so good!




























Then the boys had to try out the bobsled from Cool Runnings! Silly guys!

  Of course, before we left we had to hit the Harley store. It was our goal to get a shirt from each port, 2 out of three wasn't bad. Didn't make it to the one in Cozumel. That's a story for another day!

Cayman Islands - 12/2

This evening when we went to dinner we came back to the room and there was my favorite towel animal! Monkey! We had another great dinner and an early night since the next day we would be in Cayman around 7am and need to catch one of the first Tender boats to shore. Cayman is supposedly building docks since it is one of the most popular destinations for cruise ships, would be nice to just walk off the ship, but we had no problems with the tenders. We got in early and went up on deck, it had been raining, so everything was wet, but it was gorgeous!

There were 5 other boats in port! We grabbed a quick bite and met up with everyone and headed to the shore. We were to meet our van about a few blocks from the dock and found it right away, checked in for our excursion, but had about an hour to mess around before we left, so we shopped :) I had heard from friends, if you go to Cayman, you have to do Stingray Reef, so I researched it a little and found the best reviews about Captain Marvins. Boy did it live up to the reviews. It couldn't have gone better! We got on the van for a 15 minute ride to the boat. Have I mentioned they drive on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the vehicle in the Cayman's?? That's some scary stuff right there, especially since they drive like maniacs! We heard a little about the island from our driver and enjoyed the view, it is gorgeous. We got to this "subdivision" on a canal, beautiful homes all with big boats in the water. Got settled on board and headed out. Thru the canals and past some mango groves, beautiful multi-million dollar homes with landscaping and pools like you wouldn't believe!

We went about 20 minutes out to a reef where we could snorkel and dive for conch. They explained to us which ones were available to harvest, they couldn't have a hole in the back, the meat had already been retrieved from those, and if they were "hooked together" leave them alone, they were getting busy :) So they guys got about 10 conch and we snorkeled around. The water was amazing, not too cold, just right, and the fish and the reefs were gorgeous!



We got our dog treats out again and I brought a box of Cheerios from the breakfast buffet on the ship with me. The fish loved us!! I had a case for my phone to get underwater shots, but it wouldn't work, I was so mad! Hoping our friends underwater camera got some pics! There were a few stingrays, but they stayed close to the bottom. It was about 10 feet deep. I spotted a sea biscuit, but didn't have the energy to get it, so John did for me. :)You can't tell from the pic, but it's about 4 inches in diameter!

As we were heading back to the boat, about 20 yards away,  there was a stingray following me, kinda creepy, but really cool. I think he wanted some treats. :)
  As we were getting back on the boat and rinsing off, it started to rain :(. Now this boat was a 45 foot Taurus, named








Capt. Jimmy, and we had plenty of room to stay dry. It had a galley (kitchen) and a head (bathroom), and there were only 16 of us total on board. But about 2 minutes in, it started pouring and we were singing the Gilligan's Island theme song! It got pretty bad! One girl got sick, but it didn't bother any of us, we have been on the water most of our lives!  After getting back on board we headed to the sandbar where we could get out and play with stingrays! About a 10 minute ride to the reef, we backed in with a bunch of other boats and got a quick briefing about how to interact with the stingrays. Don't swim or kick, shuffle your feet, just hang out and they will come around. Casey, one of our guides brought his favorite ray over for us to hold and kiss. I was the chosen one in our group to hold it, of course I wanted to! 


 They were so cool! Then we could feed them, but once you had the shrimp smell on your hand, they wouldn't leave you alone. Someone must have rubbed their shrimpy hand on my back, because one ray loved me and kept sucking on my back! A hickey from a ray isn't too bad! LOL! We stayed there about 30 minutes, while we played, our other guide cleaned the conch and got it ready for lunch.










Day 2: Sea Day - 11/29

So all day we will be cruising south
 through the Gulf, on the way to Jamaica, getting warmer and warmer by the minute! YAY! Pool day for sure!


Today is Sunday and the Texans are on, so we are going to find out where we can watch! Nothing better than enjoying a football game in the middle of the Gulf! So we went to the EA SportsBar and it was standing room only, 4 deep at the bar. Then Rob decided to go check out the Red Frog Pub where we had stopped in the night before, and when he didn't come back, we headed over there. Had the whole place to ourselves and a few tables in front of  2 big screens!! Bonus!!

As the people walking by heard the screaming and hollering from the Pub, it got more full, but we still had the best seats in the place! Best thing of all? Texans WIN! After the game it was time to get ready for dinner, first formal night. Guys were all spiffy in their suits and ties and girls all fancied up and hair done. The Dining Room had tablecloths on the tables and was more elegant than the other nights so far. Every night after dinner we'd be so full, we would go change and head up to the Promenade. Stopped in the Sing Along Piano Bar one night, totally fun! Went in the dance club to get our groove on, then catch a show, then to the Comedy Club, usually watched two or three shows there a night. Finally would head to our rooms around 1 or 2 am. Towel animal on Night 2 was a dog. Looked like an elephant, but short nose :) Onto Day 3, another Sea Day, it's a long trip from Galveston to Jamaica!!

12/3 Evening

So tonight instead of dinner in the main dining room, we had reservations for the Steakhouse. It was another Formal dinner night, so it worked out perfectly! We got all dudded up and had a great dinner and Rob had gotten a bottle of "Michelle" champagne for the table to share. We had a great dinner, as usual, we surely gained 10 lbs on this cruise! They made Michelle a special dessert and sang Happy Birthday.

Day 2: Sea Day - 11/29

So all day we will be cruising south
 through the Gulf, on the way to Jamaica, getting warmer and warmer by the minute! YAY! Pool day for sure!


Today is Sunday and the Texans are on, so we are going to find out where we can watch! Nothing better than enjoying a football game in the middle of the Gulf! So we went to the EA SportsBar and it was standing room only, 4 deep at the bar. Then Rob decided to go check out the Red Frog Pub where we had stopped in the night before, and when he didn't come back, we headed over there. Had the whole place to ourselves and a few tables in front of  2 big screens!! Bonus!!

As the people walking by heard the screaming and hollering from the Pub, it got more full, but we still had the best seats in the place! Best thing of all? Texans WIN! After the game it was time to get ready for dinner, first formal night. Guys were all spiffy in their suits and ties and girls all fancied up and hair done. The Dining Room had tablecloths on the tables and was more elegant than the other nights so far. Every night after dinner we'd be so full, we would go change and head up to the Promenade. Stopped in the Sing Along Piano Bar one night, totally fun! Went in the dance club to get our groove on, then catch a show, then to the Comedy Club, usually watched two or three shows there a night. Finally would head to our rooms around 1 or 2 am. Towel animal on Night 2 was a dog. Looked like an elephant, but short nose :) Onto Day 3, another Sea Day, it's a long trip from Galveston to Jamaica!!

Last Day - Sea Day

Well, Friday was to be our last day :( Our last day to sleep in if we wanted to, our last night to have our beds turned down, one last towel animal, one last time to have our room made up, ONE LAST GUY'S BURGER :( noooooooooooo!
So we were going to sleep in, have breakfast and chill by the pool all day! So that's what we did! I'm throwing a few more pics in here, not all are from the last day, but just wanted to share. Be glad I didn't show every pic!!

I am so shocked that my blog is so messed up!! :( I will have to go in and reload EVERY pic, or copy and start over elsewhere... I wanted to keep it as a diary of sorts, I have so many memories here and now it's almost gone. Good thing is, most text is still here! Hang tight, I'll be back!

Cozumel 12/3 - Happy Birthday Michelle!

Today is Cozumel and it's Michelle's birthday! Our excursion today, picked by the birthday girl is at  Discover Mexico  and it's a Chocolate making, tequila tasting and lunch combo! When we got off the boat we had a few hours to kill, but we were afraid we didn't know where to go and it was only 500 yards from the pier, supposedly. So we started walking and it was way further than that! I kinda remembered it from the last time we were here becuase that's where we learned to ride segways on our cruise in 2011. But... I went along with the group :) anyway, we got down there and asked if since we were there we could go ahead and get started instead of waiting until 1pm. It was around 11am and they went ahead and took us! Good thing, the weather was not going to cooperate! We watched a short film and had a "punch" with punch they handed us, then on to the chocolate making. Our guide Ruy was a hoot, so fun, but a little hard to understand sometimes!  It was cool, we learned a bit about beans and roasting, etc and ground our beans three times, adding sugar and cinnamon to make a hot chocolate disc for later.

 To make a chocolate bar it would need to be ground 14 times, and we were using a hand crank grinder. :) So, we got all cleaned up from that and headed to the Jose Quervo area.
The building was made of containers and so nice and elegant! We had the room to ourselves and they had the table all set up with 3 different kinds of tequila and water. Ruy went over the different colors and kinds and how to sip it without it tasting like gasoline. Well, it didn't work, it still was pretty harsh!

 It was interesting to learn about tequila, why the colors are different, etc. But didn't change my mind about drinking it! ;) We took a tour thru the park looking at replicas of the Mayan ruins and learning a little more about the history of Mexico. Then we were about to the time for lunch and as we were waiting they made us Mango Margaritas and they were really good! Then came the rain, deluge is more like it and the area we were having lunch was covered, but getting there was not. Luckily we had brought our towels from the ship with us and we got over there not quite as soaked as we could be. Lunch was a typical Mexican lunch, tortillas, meat, beans rice, etc and was very good! They of course took us thru the shop on the premises and we hung out in there until the taxi showed up for us to leave. We had a few hours to mess around in Cozumel, but the weather was horrible and the roads there were getting flooded already, so we made our way back to the boat to get dry and relax before our dinner. We were celebrating in style in the Steakhouse for Michelle's birthday!

Where have I been?!?!

Wow, it's been over a year since I've written. I guess with Facebook, it's hard to keep up with a blog! They are kinda phasing out I think. I am going to update and refresh it soon. There is a lot going on in our lives these days, and I'm missing out on keeping a "journal" of sorts by not keeping this up to date, so soon, very soon I'm going to sit down and catch up!

February already??

Y'all, here I am again, finally! I think my calendar was missing January?? It flew by, just like all the days are lately. I was glad for 2011 to fly on outta here, but geesh....

Not much has been going on, just school for Trey, 7th grade...yikes, he will be a teenager this year!

I had my one year anniversary at work last week, doesn't seem like I have been there that long....

Nick has been building pools with my brother, kinda nice to have him around more... that sounded funny, not kinda nice, real nice, especially on my days off!

Our Christmas was awesome again as usual, Trey got an iPad from his grandparents, he didn't put it down for at least a month! :) He was spoiled again as usual.

I don't think I mentioned that Nick got a motorcycle? He has always wanted one and his car is not reliable, so this is easier for hin to run check on jobs, etc. Besides, it's ALOT of fun!! We rode alot to Galveston before it got too cool, had burgers at The Spot, coffee and Ken & Holly's place on the strand, just cruised the Seawall.

Trey is still kickin it at Aikido, he got his Blue Belt in October, and Nick had promised him months ago that when he got his Blue Belt, he'd buy him an authentic Samurai sword. So you can imagine, the day he got it, he says, "where's my sword?"

They found one online and ordered it from China, it is definitely battle ready and super sharp, so he's taking a weapons class too. Here is the pic we used for our Christmas card showing the sword and his new belt. ------>>>>

I forgot to mention also that I won tickets to see Maroon 5 when they came to Galveston to introduce the new cruise ship the Carnival Magic. They had the dock all set up and we were right in front, it was AWESOME! These pics were taken with my phone so they aren't the greatest... but you get the idea. It was a great day and great music!

Well, I think I'm caught up for now, and I hope to not be so far between posts next time!! Hang in there with me! :)

More Yellow Butterfly Sightings

Just wanted to share the latest "God Winks" I have had since back when I first realized Yellow Butterflies will  have a new meaning to me. If you remember from this post- Yellow Butterfly  I needed a "sign" if you will. There were more of those times this past year, it was a really hard year for us, and praying 2012 will be better!

One day this past summer, I was worried and stressing, trying to chill out, I got a book and went outside to get some sun. I was kicked back, eyes closed, praying for peace and hope in our family. At one point I just asked God to show me that He was there and things would work out and get better. About 2 minutes later, I opened my eyes and there resting on my knee was a yellow butterfly. If I would have kept my eyes closed, I would have never seen it, because I surely didn't feel it, if it had just flown by I wouldn't have seen it either.

Then another day I was praying on the way to pick Trey up from school and as we got on the feeder road in the middle of traffic, another one flew right across our path.

Then on our cruise, when we were on our Segway and Snorkle tour,  we were cruising along this gorgeous road with the Mexican sun beating down on us, beautiful scenery all around, and there were yellow butterflies all over the place. I had seen one or two before I mentioned it to Nick and as we went further, they kept coming, almost in swarms! The whole 7-8 miles, they were everywhere. It wasn't like they were in the bushes on the sides of the road, they were flying right through our path! I just had to giggle! We really needed to see those and it was so perfect because we were out there together, just us and enjoying each other. So now we share this "wink."

This post is just to let some of my friends who are going through rough waters know.. just talk to Him, take time to be still and listen, He is always there, He never leaves, He loves you! He may not answer when you want, but be patient and hang in there. Praying for you all too!

Can't believe it's the holidays already! Seems like it was just Christmas and here we are going to look for a tree later. Had a great Thanksgiving, hosted it at our house, we did all the cooking. It was awesome, Nick makes the BEST dressing and gravy, he learned from the best, his Mamaw. It was a good day, relaxing and easy. Today I did not join all the crazies out shopping, there is nothing I need THAT bad! The only thing we are getting today is a tree. The guys want a real one this year, so going out later. Have a great weekend! 

Hello, it's been a while....

Seriously? Last August? I have been SO bad about blogging! I really missed it, so I hope I'm back to some regular posting! So much has happened since last year, and I probably can't remember it all! Highlights... last post Trey was going in 6th grade, now he's in 7th. Time flies! He's also 12, not too far from being a teenager, scary....

Nick and I went on our first cruise, and it was our first vacation in 17 years, not including weekends camping or things like that! It was awesome, perfect, dreamy and I wish we were still there, we'll go again soon for sure. First we have to take Trey on a vacation.

We stopped in Cozumel and it was gorgeous. I could live there!

 We had a Segway and Snorkeling tour planned ad went to the meeting spot at a really nice resort where I took this pic and lots more.

 We started getting worried when no one else showed up, it was just us. But, it worked out perfect, we had our two guides all to ourselves! One led us on the segways to a private beach club about 8-10 miles down the island, the other followed in the truck with our snorkel gear and water. It was amazing! The guide, Bob, was awesome, what a job this guy has!

 I would go back and do the same tour with the same guys again tomorrow!

As for the drama that was our townhouse.... it is gone, they bulldozed them about June or so. We did get some money from their insurance, but not nearly enough!

We celebrated our 17th anniversary in September, that is a miracle in itself, there were times over this past year I didn't think we'd make it through. It was a hard, stressful tough year and surely they can only get better! Remembering this: 1 Corinthians 13:13; And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. One reason it's better is Nick isn't selling cars at "that place" anymore, he's actually home some now. He was gone so much that was a main problem, I felt like a single parent and he was missing out on alot around here. We have been having lots of time together and it's awesome! He's working with Kevin building pools, so he's in shorts and tshirts mostly not dress clothes, and he's here.... that's the best part.

I haven't gotten together with my girls this year, but Jenn did come to visit! Of course we went to see Bon Jovi!! Spent a day at the beach and The Spot, and an evening with Jon! Good times!

Well, that's all I got right now, hope to be back soon!

kris

School Days Again!

Well, it's that time again! School Days! My "little" boy is going to 6th grade!?! Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday he was going into Kindergarten. I know people always told me time files after you have children, and boy they were right. He is 11 and almost as tall as I am! He got an awesome teacher, well 3! This year he will change classes for the first time. He also has a male teacher, for Math and Bible, another first. Tomorrow night is Parent Orientation, I haven't been for years because I have always gone to "Meet the Teacher" day, but I was working this year and couldn't, so I'm looking forward to seeing his classrooms and meeting his teachers. I pray he has a great year! I am going to enjoy having a schedule back, it was a hard summer with both Nick & I working outside the home, trying to find a place for him to go when we were @ work. Thank goodness for Grandparents and friends! I look forward to having some time to enjoy my days alone for a change too. I'll miss him, and the house is very quiet, but I have tons of things to do! Hopefully I can get some scrapping in also! Speaking of summer; it was pretty uneventful. No vacations, Nick won't have time off enough for a while. Trey had fun swimming with friends, got a few bad sunburns along the way! You know kids and sunscreen don't go together. He enjoyed a day at Schlitterbahn with one of his best friends, he loved it! He also had a birthday, kinda sucks for him to have a summer birthday. Ususally his friends are out of town and it's hard to schedule a party. We did finally manage to get one in the weekend before school started. We took a bunch of boys to Putt Putt and they had a blast! Then they all came back here for cake and ice cream and a sleepover. They are all really good kids and such a riot to be around!

We (me, Mimi & Poppy) did take a day trip with Trey and Morgan to Galveston to see all the tree sculptures, carved from oak trees that Ike destroyed. It was amazing and sad at the same time. The sculptures are beautiful, but knowing they were once huge, majestic trees that were standing just before the storm. There are many more that could be done, but we saw around 15. We took the kids on the ferry and watched the dolphins. It was 100 degrees that day, but we did it! Poppy took us for a shrimp lunch at Shrimp N Stuff. If you've never been, I recommend it! Good shrimp at a decent price, just don't ask me where it is, it is stuck in the middle of homes somewhere off of Broadway! Google it!

Until next time,

kris

This is ridiculous!

It's been forever since my last post....do I sound like a broken record? I'm not doing very good at being a blogger lately. Summer is here and it's never a dull moment. We don't do vacations, never have time off or the money. Maybe someday...
I have been working some, alot the past week, but back to normal 22- 25 hours a week starting this week. Somehow I have been getting Mondays off and I love it, it gives me a day to get the house clean and in order for the week. I have this weekend off and plan to scrap. I did a few layouts for the store, actually the kit examples and the new Basic Grey Oliver. The theme is trains and it was perfect for Trey's train trip with Mimi and Poppy. I need to post pics, but didn't take any before I put them in the store! I know, bad me. Hoping to get more done this weekend on Trey's train trip album and some of my girls trip to the beach. Popping out for now, check ya in a few!
kris

I'm baaaack!

Well, got a new header and layout, so I'm ready to update!! Are you ready to catch up?? Last post I had worked on the Extreme Makeover Home Edition and had a blast. Seems so long ago! It just aired last Sunday. It was a blast to relive it all. Makes all the hard work and purple face worth it! I got a few texts that I was spotted in the kitchen, right where I thought I’d be. That was filmed on the reveal day and it was misting rain and miserable! We stood outside doing take after take for 3 hours in the same spot, after we had been inside warm and dry touching up paint, sweeping, mopping and filming a few spots. All in all it was a great experience!

Since then it’s been pretty much life back to normal, work and school. We have entered a new phase in our family life. Nick and I are both working out of the home. It has been a hard adjustment, just schedule wise. My schedule changes week to week, never the same days or times; I can go up to 3-4 days off in a row. Which is great, don’t get me wrong, it’s just hard to coordinate pick ups for Trey. We have always been around. Nick worked from home, I was a SAHM, so we were both able to take and pick him up from school. Now, we have to find someone to pick him up and stay with him until we get home in the evening. He is not quite old enough to stay alone, nor does he want to yet. We both work Saturdays, so that is a long day for him, although I don’t work every weekend, but Nick does. Thank goodness for our parents and friends! They have stepped up! Now summer is going to be a whole different story! We’ll get thru it, if only he’d go to Church camp, but he’s not into that yet either!

We lost Nick’s sweet Mamaw at the beginning of March, actually the day before Nick’s birthday, not a great birthday for him this year. She was an awesome lady and lived a long and happy 95 years. We miss her, but know she is dancing in Heaven, healthy and whole and we will see her again one day!

I had my annual Girl’s Crop Weekend again, this time in TEXAS, so I didn’t have to fly anywhere for the first time in a few years! It was as usual, the best time! I miss my girls and hate that I only get to see most of them once a year! It always goes by so fast, already looking forward to the next one. We’re thinking Daytona, close to Jan’s home! We had a total of 10 of us. Jan, Laurie, Jenn, Jodi, Suzanne, Bren Denise, Kelly, Lynn and Me! Jan, Laurie and Jenn came in early so we could “do Houston” as Laurie put it. We went to Discovery Green, hung out in the park, had lunch at The Grove, (YUM) and went shopping @ One Houston Center.

Let me tell you, these girls can shop!
They had been cruising Old Town Spring the day before and weren’t tired of it yet! We found a store that sold Chamilia beads and we all went crazy! Got a few new charms! We went to shop at the Pavilions, but no stores were open, it’s a new center, will be nice, but don’t know if I’ll go back, we got in trouble… seems like we always have some kind of silly drama! Did you know you can’t take pictures of anything without people in them? There were these really cool Japanese lanterns hanging in this area below us in a courtyard, so Laurie and Jenn started snapping away and a security guard(who obviously loved his job!) got in our face and said we couldn’t do that! We could be terrorists (yeah right, a bunch of women, most of them tourists) scoping out the area! HAHA! Whatever.
The weather was awesome! Especially for Laurie and Jenn, whose flight was cancelled the day before due to snow in Denver! We were all soaking up the sun. The next day we picked up Lynn, Denise and Kelly at the airport and headed to Galveston to shop some more and eat at Fisherman’s Wharf and meet Bren. It was great seeing how much has been done to The Strand and the Waterfront since Ike. There is still some visible damage, The Flagship is still messed up, some of the fishing piers and of course beach houses. We messed around for a while then drove to Surfside to meet Suzanne and get settled in the house. Jodi, Jenn, me and Laurie drew the short straw; mine the shortest of all since I got the top of the top bunk!

3 levels up! Good thing I don’t get up in the night that would have been a riot! After fun, sun and scrapping for 3 days, it was back to life, back to the grind!

Now it’s time to focus on the golf tournament again! This year is our 20th Anniversary and we’re hoping it’s going to be a big turn out! If you’re interested, check out our website! http://www.friendswoodlegends.org/

Hope to blog again before 3 months!

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Did I mention it's COLD!?!?

yes, my cheeks are purple!!

I went to the site yesterday for Extreme Home Makeover to volunteer. It was around 36 degrees when I got there and the wind was howling! (it was 21 when we left). I was layered up though and had on my ski pants, thank goodness for those, the only thing that was really cold was my face and it was covered most of the time...the wind was brutal. We got on the bus under the Kemah bridge and got bussed over to the build. It was amazing, so much going on, so many people scurrying around, heavy equipment beeping, trucks in and out. Craziness, but such a feeling of community. When we got off the bus, the team heading out was clapping, cheering and high-fiving all of us, it got us pumped up! We got put to work immediately building a walkway from one block thru a horse pasture and to the other, stopping across from the house, or I should say at this point, the site where the house will be. It was already gone when I got there... We laid 2X4's for about 200 yards, then 8 foot plywood on top then connected them all together. My arms are sore from carrying plywood! Luckily my hubby sent me with some leather work gloves, they saved the day! It took us, about 30 of us, about 2 hours to do this. It was freezing, but when we got moving it was bearable. We were walking back to the warming tent and I was clapping my hands to keep them warm and one of the guys from the construction company in a golf cart asked if my hands were cold and gave me hand warmers to put in my gloves! How cool! It really helped for a bit. We were fed a warm dinner and had plenty of coffee and went back to work. We laid a floor in the VIP tent, more plywood, for another hour then we were done. The walk back to the bus stop was about 1/4 mile, but it seemed longer! We hooped and hollered at every truck waiting to deliver stuff, we had horns honking all down the street...bet the neighbors love this!! Actually they have all been great I hear, especially the one across the street with a huge tent in their front yard!! All in all it was great, next week should be warmer and more fun stuff to do.... hopefully I can get out there and get more pics!

Stay Warm!

It's EXTREMELY cold!!

Well, it's on it's way to freezing as I type. The "arctic blast" is on its way! Sounds like a Dairy Queen treat, doesn't it?? :) Just great for this weather to be coming in here now as we have Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in town!

Ty and the gang, just rolled in this am and surprised the Beach Family that they are getting a new house, and boy do they need one! The article is there if you click on their name, it was from last year after Ike. It is just across the Kemah Bridge from me, so I hope to be out there and taking lots of pics to scrapbook! The Pep Rally was held at our church as we are a sponsor and they are doing all of the interviews there also... I might need to run up there and get something.... I think I left my bible.... hee-hee.... I'm hoping to run into Ty or Paulie...The show will air in March and this is the biggest house they will have ever built for the show! You can keep up with the progress on Blu's website! Stay warm and say a prayer for the Subs, Trades and volunteers out there working in this weather!!

kris